Heinz Berggruen

It would be wrong to describe the life of Heinz Berggruen as destiny. He was born to a Jewish family in Berlin, and sought refuge in California at the dawn of the Second World War. After studying in France, his first contacts with the art world were in San Francisco. When the war was over, Berggruen preferred to return to Europe, first to his native country as a journalist, and then to the UNESCO headquarters in Paris. He became weary and little by little made his way into the art market. The exhibition layout, at the Musée de l'Orangerie, with monographs and theme-based focuses emphasizes above all Berggruen’s specific and personal tastes. Although it is clear that it will almost exhaustively highlight the entire careers of Picasso and Klee, as well as Matisse’s remarkable cut-outs and Giacommeti’s slender sculptures, the exhibition will revolve around Heinz Berggruen, his choices, his encounters and his affinities that guided the creation of this collection.